Refrigerating device



April J. v. RISBEFQG 1,707,319

REFRIGERATING DEVI CE Filed March 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 2 1929. .1. v. M. RISBERG REFRIGERATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1924 Patented Apr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

REFRIGERATING DEVICE.

Application filed March 22, 1924, Serial No. 701,131, and in Sweden August 30, 1921.

said construction have the great drawback,

that the shifting of the slide must be efi'ected before the diaphragm bears against the bottom wall of the compression or gas chamber, which results in a great clearance being created, which, as is well known, greatly reduces the efiiciency of the compressor, owing to the fact that the compressed gas remaining in the "said chamber at the end of the compression stroke expands at the starting of the subsequentv suction stroke and thus prevents the sucking in of fresh gas. In compressors arranged in accordance with this invention the admission and discharge of the driving liquid is controlled by a slide valve or the like, ac-

tuated by means which are independent of the movement of the diaphragm, while in addition the said means preferably are op erated by the same driving liquid which actuates thecomp-ressor, and may be adjusted to the number of strokes per unit of time, which is necessary for the gaining of the compressing effect aimed at. The means for controlling the said valve may be of different types and is described on the following pages as a pulsator to the movable member of which the valve or like device is connected. Pulsator means adevice, which responds to pulsations, that is variations of the pressure of a pressure medium. The compressor may beused for diiferent purposes but is chiefly intended to be used in refrigerating devices acting on the principle of a gas being compressed, condensed to liquid state and evaporated again. The

objects of the invention are:

First, a compressor in which a diaphragm is substituted for the piston;

Second, effecting the compression by means of running water. under pressure acting upon the diaphragm;

Third, leading the heat generated by the compression and condensation to the water nected at its one end'with the condenser b either after or before the water has acted in the compressor;

Fourth, a pulsator automatically controlling a valve mechanism which supplies water to the compressor and discharges the same, said pulsator being driven by running Water;

Fifth, a device for reducing or increasing the pressure exerted by the water to an extent which is just that necessary to obtain the compression and condensation of the gas. at the temperature. of water used;

Sixth, a device co-operating with the pulsator and automatically controlling the running of the same according to the pressure and temperature of the gas in the refrigorator.

These objects are gained by thedevices illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a complete refrigerating device;

Figure 2 shows parts of compressor, recelver or after cooler acting as a condenser, refrigelator and vertical sections of pulsator, hydraulic transmitter for reducing of the Water pressure and a relay connected to the refrigerator and transmitting impulses to thepulsator. according to variation of pressure in the refrigerator and compressor.

The compressor consists of a diaphragm 1 hermetically pressed between an upper disc 2 and a lower disc 3 by means of screw bolts at. In centre of the lower disc two valves are located in an extension of the disc. 5 is the suctionand 6 the pressure-valve and they areprovided with guides 7 and springs 8 as usual in compressors. The condenser consists of a pipe-coil9 located in the space between a plate 10 connected to the abovementioned extension of the compressor and a lidllfixed to the plate by means of screws 12. Said coil 9 constitutes a receiver or after "cooler of the compressor. 13 are plugs for inspection of the valves. The

refrigerator consists of a second pipe coil 14; located below the condenser and conmeans of a reducing valve-15 and at its other end to the suction inlet 16 of the compressor. The upperdisc has an extension 17 to support a pulsator having a housing 18 and a piston valve 19 operated by a diaphragm 20 which is forced'fr'om one position to a second position by means of a spring 21 co-operating with a lever 22, a

plunger 23, a pl'ate-sprihg 24 and a valveplate 25 swinging on a button 26 and closing or opening supply and discharge-nozzles 27 and 28 respectively for pressure water according to the position of the valve 19.

After the system has been charged with a proper gas for absorbing heat, for instance ammonia N11 the inlet 29 of the pulsator is connected to a water line carrying water under suitable pressure. The operation then takes place asfollows At the position of the valve 19 shown, the supply is open and water will enter the space between the diaphragm 1 and the upper disc 2 forcing the diaphragm down to its lower position close to the lower disc 3. Thus the ammonia gas will be compressed and forced through the valve-6 to the receiver 9,the heat generated by compression and condensation being absorbed by the pipe Walls of the receiver and carried awayto the surrounding water, and the gas converted into liquid ammonia.v The ammonia phragm will then pass the reducing valve 15 and enter .the refrigerator 14 where it will evaporate again under influence of a lower pressure regulated by. means of the screw 39 and absorb the heat necessary for the evaporation from the surrounding walls of the refrigerator;

Valve 19 is moved toward the right by pressure water passing through channel 30 and nozzle 27 into the water chamber, the nozzle 27 being open during the said movement. Meanwhile so much pressure water has entered the water-chamber that the dia- 20 and valve 19 are pushed over so far to the right that the lever 22, plunger 23, plate-spring 24' and valve-plate 25 have reached the position shown in the drawing. At the moment the nozzle 28 is opened the spring21 will push the-valve 19 and the diaphragm 20 to the left' forcing the water out fromthe chamber through the nozzle 28 and channels-31,32 and 33. As soon as the valve 19 has moved far enough to close the water inlet and open the outlet 33, the ammoniagas from the refrigerator will enter the compressorthrough the pipe. 40 and suction valve 5., push the diaphragm 1 t 1 wards close to the upper disc2, forcing t e water out through the channels 34, 33 and the pipe'35 to the water chamber 41 of the receiver and finally out through the discharge-pipe 36. -No w the diaphragm 20 of the pulsator has advanced so far to the left that the lower end of the plate-spring 24 by means of the lever 22 and plunger- '23 is moved over so far to the right that it will push the lower end of the valve-plate 25 against the nozzle 28 and open the inlet nozzle 27 again. Consequently pressure water again will enter the water-chamber of the pulsator and open the'inlet for the water to the compressor, repeating the process of compressing, condensing the gas to a liquid and evaporating it again as long as the pressure of water is high enough and temperature low enough to bring the ammonia gas into a liquid state. The pressure necessary' for obtaining the condensation of the compressed ammonia gas depends upon the temperature of the water and amounts for example to 108 lbs. per square inch if the temperature of the water is 60 degrees. Supposing a temperature of about 15 degrees in the refrigerator the ammonia gas will evaporate and enter the compressor at a pressure of 43 lbs. per square inch which is more than necessary to push the dia phragm of the compressor to its upper position. The pressure and temperature in the refrigerator is regulated by means of the screw 39 in the reducing valve 15. The period of strokes of the pulsator 18 necessary to maintain the desired temperature and pressure in the refrigerator is determined by means of the screws 37 and 38 which regulate the fiow of water to and from the waterchamber of the pulsator.

Special features of the compressing device described above are that it has no piston rod and stufling box and does not need any oil. Consequently the cooling medium can be hermeticallypnclosed. The refrigerator 14 may be exposed directly to the air in a chest or a chamber to be cooled. Owing to the fact that the pulsator shifting the valve 19 o crates entirely independently of the diap ragm 1, the latter may be moved through the greatest possible stroke so that it bears against the disc 3, the clearance of the compressor being thus reduced to nil.

The compressor of described construction may be connected to the ordinary water line of a house or any other source of pressure water. In any case the pressure of the water must be at least as high as required to accomplish the condensation of the cooling medium at the temperature of the water. Inthis case the consumption of water for one compression will be equal to the difference in displacement of the com ressor with the diaphragm in its upper an lower position. If the water pressure is too low to allow ammonia to be used as cooling medium and that is, for instance, the case when the temperature is over 60 degrees and pressure below 10.8 lbs., another gas may be used as coolin medium, for instance, sulphur dioxide, 0 This gas is very suitable where the water pressure is low as the pres sure. necessary to condense it into a liquid when the temperature of the water is 60 degrees amounts to less than 30 lbs, per

purpose shown in Figure 2 between the compressor 1, 2, 3 and the pulsator 18. 19 is a shell with two different cylinder bores, and 50 is a differential piston fitting into the said cylinders. In the upper part of the shell are channels 51 and 52 communicating with the inletand outlet-ehannels 34 and 33 in the pulsator. The lower part of the shell is fixed to the upper disc 2 by means of screws 53 and communicates with the water chamber of the compressor through holes 54. The chamber 55 between the piston 50 and the disc 2 is filled with water. The difference in size of the upper and lower parts of the piston is such, thatthe waterpressure acting upon the upper end of-the piston will generate sufiicient pressure in the chamber 55 to push the diaphragm 1 ofthe compressor down close to the lower disc If any water leaks out through the spaces between the cylinder and the piston, it will pass through the hole 56-to the outlet channel 52 and further through the pipe35 to the receiver 10, 11.. To replace the outlealc nel 57 in the piston normally shut by a valve 58 and a spring 59. When so much water has leaked out from the chamber that thelower end of the stem of the valve 58 strikes the disc 2, the channel 57 is opened sufficiently to let a little pressure water through. As soon as the piston '50 has risen sufficiently, the spring 59 will shut the valve again. i i

By means of a differential piston any as suitable'for the purpose and any available water-pressure. may be used by suitably adapting the cross, sectional areas of the parts of the piston.

As previously stated, the running of the pulsator has to be regulated according to the temperature and pressure desired in the refrigerator. This will be made automatically, if'the'pulsator is run by means of a relay connected to therefrigerator as illustrated in Figure 2. pulsator has a connection 60 to the, relay ending in a nozzle 61 arrangedto be closed or opened 'by means of a set screw 62 and a lever 71 resting with an edge 63 in a groove 72 in the frame 64. A second edge 65 of the lever. rests in a groove 73 in the centre of a shaft extending froma circular plate 67. This'plate is located in achamber in the frame 64 covered by a diaphragm '69 anda J lid 7 0' which communicates with the pipe 40 leading from the refrigerator to the .com-

pl'essor. The lever 71 with its edges 63 and 55 is forced against the grooves 72 and 73 60 by means of a fixed pin screw 74, a spring 75 and a nut 76. The frame, diaphragm and lid are held together gas-tight by means of screws 77 and the mechanism of the re- 5 lay is protected by a shell 78 provided, with ing' water in the chamber 55 there is a chan- For this purpose the nozzle 61. It will be understood that the nozzle 61 will be shut or open according to the pressure transmitted from the gas by means of the diaphragm 69, plate 67 and lever 71. Finally, there is a set screw 79 provided for restricting the flow of gas from the refrigerator to the compressor inorder to increase the variations of pressure on the dia phragm 69 when the diaphragm l of the comparatively high pressure on the diaphragm 69, the water-pressure Wlll rlse sufficiently to overcome'the spring ,21 and force the diaphragm 20 over to the right closing the valve 19. Now the channels 3 1 and 33 will communicate and the pressure of the gas will force the diaphragm 1 of the compressor upwards and consequently the piston 50 will rise and force the water out through the channel 52 and pipe 35 to the receiver 10, 11. 'At the same moment as the diaphragm 10f the com ressor gives way, the pressure on the diap iragm 69 of the relay will be considerably reduced, because the supply from the. refrigerator is restricted through the screw 79, allowing the spring 75 to push the lower end ofthe lever 71 tothe left and open the nozzle 61 su'fiiciently to reduce the'pressure on the diaphragm 20 of the pulsator so much that the spring 21 will be able to push it over to left again and open the valve 19.

A cycle of operations has now been described andthe said cycle will be repeated as long as the pressure of the gas in the connection between the refrigerator and the compressor is suflicient to cause the diaphragm 69 to close the nozzle 61 by means of the set screw 62. Consequently, the com pressor will suck in and compress gas from the refrigerator uninterruptedly until "the pressure in the said connection has been reduced so much that it will be unable to shut the nozzle 61. This results in the retarding of the speed of-the pulsator until a state. of equilibrium is reached when the speed is just 'sufiicient to maintain the desired pressure and temperature in the refrigerator. By altering the tension of the spring 75 and the position of the set screw 62, the pressure in the refrigerator may be regulated at will. nel 30 is so controlled, that no more pressure water is admitted to the diaphragm By means of the screw 37 the chan- 20 than the nozzle 61 will be able to discharge when fully open.. The pressure of the spring 21 may be regulated by means of the screw plug 81 to correspond with the water-pressure on the diaphragm 20.

As perceived from the above, the apparatus'shown in Figure 2 will adjust itself auto-.

matically to absorb'just as much heat as is transmitted to the refrigerator at each moment and consequently it will, owing to the relay and the hydraulic transmitter 49, 50, perfectly utilize the pressure water.

I claim:

1 A device for compressing gases comprising in combination, a water-motor-compressor, valve mechanism for connecting the water motor with the supply and the discharge for the pressure Water, a pulsator having a shiftable member actuating the said valve mechanism, and means for increasing and decreasing the water pressure acting upon the said. shiftable member automatically.

2. In a device for compressing gases,'the combination of a gas-chamber with suction and delivery-valves, a Water-chamber and a "flexible diaphragm separating the said chambers and transmitting the Water-pressure to the gas and valve mechanism for the Water chamber, a, pulsator having a shiftable member actuating the valve mechanism, and means for increasing and decreas- 'ing the water pressure, acting upon the said shiftable member automatically.

3. In a device for compressing gases, the combination of a water-motor-compressor, a

valve connecting alternately the water-mmtor with the supply and the discharge for the pressure-Water, a pulsator having a springactuated shiftable member connected with the said valve for shifting the same, andmeans for increasing and decreasing the water pressure acting upon the said shiftable member automatlcally;

4. In a device for compressing gases, the

combination of a gas-c amber, a Waterchamber, a flexible diaphragm separating the said chambers and transmitting the water pressure to the gas, suction and delivery valves for thesaid gas-chamber, a cylinder, a differential piston operating in the cylinder, one of thechambers of the said cyl inder being connected to the said water chamber, a valve-mechanism for connecting alternately the second chamber of the cylinder With a supply and discharge for )ressure-Waten and a pulsator having a suitable member actuating the said valve-mechanism and means for increasing and decreasing the pressure Water acting automatically upon the said shiftable member.

5. In a device for compressing gases, the combination of a gas-chamber, a waterchamber, a flexible diaphragm separating the said chambers and transmitting the water pressure to the gas, suction and delivery valves forthe. said gas-chamber, a cylinder, a differential piston operating in the cylinder, one of the chambers of the said cylinder being connected to the said water chamber, a valve-mechanism for connecting alternately the second chamber of the cylinder with a supply and discharge forpressure Water, a pulsator having a shiftable member actuating the said valve-mechanism and means for increasing and decreasing the Water pressure acting upon the said shiftable member, a valve-device for connecting the water chamber with the Water-supply, and an abutment for opening the said valve-device, as the water quantity of the water chamber has been reduced to a minimum.

6. A device for compressing gases comprising, in combination, a water-motor-cmm JOHANNES VALDEii/EAR MARTEN RISBERG. 

